we might attain to more than enough in finite quantity, without overstepping the limits of our conceptions. Say a thousand years of torment for every moment of sin, yet this would be as nothing to eternity. Now, having more than enough, to say that infinitely more is useful, is to deny that God is either wise or just. He is not wise, because he lavishes an infinite machinery without, after all, in most cases, attaining his object; nor just, because he disregards proportion between crime and penalty, and condemns man by a law he cannot fully understand. The sentence on the wicked cannot be that which the wisest and the best cannot attain to the knowledge of. God having made it our duty to know His law, it must be practicable to attain to that knowledge.

The man who, with respect to human laws, should deny that there ought to be proportion between crime and punishment, would be considered an object of pity or derision; of pity, if his faculties were so weak as not to perceive the necessity of such proportion; of derision, if, with power to discriminate, he should fail to do it, and yet think himself qualified to discourse on the subject. Are human laws then more perfect than those of God? or shall we think to vindicate the honour of God's law by shewing it to want that which is fundamental to all laws. To enforce this by an instance, suppose a man to have been guilty, in his twenty or thirty years of active life, of an accumulation of crimes, more than the history of a whole kingdom for a century would parallel,-to have spread ruin and devastation over provinces and empires,-to have been the cause of murdering, for his own immediate

gratification, millions of his fellow creatures:--as with him every act was a crime, so, if for every breath he drew a year of torment was awarded, the most vindictive would cry "Hold, enough." Six hundred millions of years would, if any duration could, expiate even guilt like this; and if no duration could, what could justify the infliction? But this is an instance of a monster in the history of the world, and the punishment is threatened not only to him, but to our next door neighbour, and to ourselves, to all that fall short of the righteousness that shall inherit the kingdom of Heaven. But the worst still remains behind; for even to this most heavy infliction infinite misery is added. Will it be said, as by the demons of the Inquisition, "for the love of God?" Call down fire from heaven and be blameless; but pollute not God's holy name by ascribing to Him judgments like these.

God's love and mercy are but his attribute of goodness, manifesting itself towards his creatures, and they are plainly affected by any argument which tends to impeach that attribute. His wisdom and truth are in like manner included in his justice, since it is wholly impossible that conduct can be wise, or consistent with the simplicity of truth, which is not just. Indeed, although in condescension to human faculties the Divine Being is spoken of in Scripture as good, and just, and merciful, we approach nearest to a right conception of Him when we consider Him as the Being in whom all excel lency concurs, and best describe Him as Wisdom or Truth.

Το say that God will be justified when he judgeth, and yet that he will judge so as, according to our

present knowledge, seems unjust, is but to say we have not faculties to know what justice is; or, in other words, that we are sure God is just because we know nothing about his justice.

Can it then be denied that this doctrine is apparently inconsistent with the Divine goodness and justice? Will you not call for the authority on which it rests? At least it must have every other mark of truth;-it must minister to morality,-it must be founded in the nature of man,-it must pervade the Gospel,-it must form the warp to the woof in our Saviour's work and the Apostles' preaching. The very reverse of all this is the truth. It is exclusive of Christian morality, for that is founded in love ;-it is contrary to the nature of man, for that is mortal ;-it does not pervade the Gospel, for that, in its general tenor, is opposite to it;-it does not form the warp to the woof, for our Saviour says he supplies both, he gives immortality as well as happiness. Whereon then does it rest? On a single text, attended with difficulties enough of its own, even were it supported by all the rest of Scripture. I will proceed to justify my assertions by pursuing these heads of inquiry.

In considering the doctrine of Eternal Torments as practically applied in human life, I think it will be found to be inconsistent with the first principles of religion and morality. The first and great commandment, both in the law and gospel, is, to love God with all the heart, with all the soul, and with all the understanding; that is, with an entire, full, and perfect preference and affection: and to this end it is indispensible that we should know Him as endued with all perfection, and as our only real

benefactor and friend. Now as it is inconsistent with our frame and constitution to love those from whom we expect evil, so, in proportion as this doctrine shall prevail in our minds, the entireness of our love to Him must be broken, because that is essentially founded on our conviction that He is perfect goodness, and that all his creatures have an interest in his love; which cannot be true if he has created and preserved the vast majority of them for eternal misery. But better than we can know this, we do practically know that God is love; and as we must strive in the measure of our abilities to be like Him, it cannot be our duty to believe that of Him which we dare not imitate. This doctrine, unlike every thing that comes from God, in proportion as it prevails, excludes heavenly-mindedness,— it weakens faith,-it destroys love. In any one to whom it is proposed it must cause doubt; enforce it, you excite distrust; establish it, and you cause horror and despair. If this is the light of Scripture, enter with it a few steps into the dark profound; see the bituminous lake thickly peopled with such things as we are; see hatred and malevolence pervading all and towards all; see torturing agony filling every limb, every muscle, every nerve. help your imagination, fancy you see all the inhabitants of this great metropolis assembled, swell your idea to the whole population of the empire, add Europe's millions, summon Asia's myriads, and when Africa and America shall have augmented the tide, plunge them all into this state of thankless, thriftless misery for some short period; contemplate them here, and if you have the heart to do it, WISH THEM IMMORTALITY. "Is thy servant a dog that he

To

should do this great wickedness? Can it be better then to fall into the hands of man than of God?" Since you would abhor yourself if you could but wish this, can you love God whilst you think it is his pleasure? you can only by persuading yourself that there is some way, to us unknown, of reconciling this doctrine to the Divine attributes; which would be admitting that for which I am contending —that they are, apparently at least, inconsistent.

Now apply this test to the punishment really threatened in the Scriptures-destruction from the Divine Presence-and you will find the more it is feared the more effectually it brings you to God; it strengthens faith, it increases our love of Him, and makes heavenly-mindedness our habitual temper. The fear of eternal torments must make those who know that they are the offenders against whom they are denounced, and that they themselves will certainly become subject to them, dread, and even hate the Being who they think can take pleasure in inflicting them. The fear of exclusion from the presence of God necessarily includes in it a degree of love of Him from whom we fear to be parted. Here, therefore, is a germ of spiritual life, which will increase more and more until the perfect day.

The person who through fear of eternal torments should abstain from sin, is in no better case than he is "who prays that he may be seen of men; verily he hath no reward of our Father who is in heaven;" and one dying under the influence of this fear can have no entrance into bliss, for love is not shed abroad in his heart; but let the true fear of God prevail, and precisely co-extensive is our title to Heaven, for those who seek him as the God of love